PRE-TEST REPORT FOR FAMILY PLANNING TVCS STORY BOARDS
APRIL 2009
Methodology
Four focus group discussions were carried out within the suburbs of Kampala of Naguru where by 2 of women and 2 of men were conducted by research Assistants of the same sex. There was representation and technical help from a team from Lowe Scanad. The respondents consisted of low and middle class income and education men and women who could speak and understand English well.
FINDINGS
Story board 1 about misconception about family planning
Description
All the 40 respondents in the 4 focus group discussion (FGDs) understood the story board.
They described the story board to contain a man who was speaking to himself and thoughtfully expressing the misconceptions he had about family planning.
Respondents added that his friend informs him and clears his misconception about family planning leaving him convinced and ready to seek more information about family planning.
Respondents clearly understood that the story board was directed to clear the myths of people about family planning.
Interpretation
All the 40 respondents agreed that the main message in the story board was that family planning does not necessarily lead to problems like bareness, deformity in children and others as many think.
“The traditions and misconceptions about family planning can be cleared by counselling and getting more knowledge.” A female respondent said.
The respondents also interpreted the board to mean that the males should also be involved in family planning affairs but not only leave the responsibilities to their wives only.
The respondents identified that the story board was speaking directly to men because they have tendencies to resist family planning more than the women.
They added that it was visible in the visual that there were only men which implied that the concept was directed towards men.
“When a man talks to a fellow man about sensitive issues like family planning he may listen and change than if it were a woman”
A male respondent said referring to the man to man talk on the story board.
All the respondents also agreed that the message in the story board could be for the married couples, those intending to have children, youth and one male respondent added that this information is good for the general public so that people may adopt the culture of planning for their families.
Clarity
All the 40 respondents said that the story is clear and direct and it communicates the message about the misconceptions about family planning.
Thirty Eight respondents said that they found nothing offensive in the story board. However, 2 respondents felt that the inclusion of a disabled person in relation to the misconception may offend the disabled people and they may feel victimised and stigmatized.
Likes and dislikes
All the respondents in the FGDs mentioned that they liked the message because it awakens men to go and seek knowledge about family planning and stop thinking ill about the available methods.
“What I like about this whole thing is that the man who had wrong beliefs about family planning changed his mind when he was given advice”a male respondent mentioned.
All the respondents said they disliked nothing but rather liked the story board because it is educative.
Call for action
All the respondents agreed that the story board asking them to seek for information about family planning in order to plan for small manageable families.
They also said the asking them to seek advice about the misconceptions about family planning from a health centre in order to get the right information about family planning.
Suggestion for improvement
The respondents said that the tagline was too long and should be made short and contain some information to clarify the main message on the story board.
The respondents preferred story board 1 about the man having misconceptions about family planning because it is direct and more realistic as compared to story board 2 of the accident concept which most of respondents found far fetched and more technical to understand.
“It does not coordinate properly with the family planning message being put across” a female respondent said.
“Accidents have nothing to do with family planning even if this woman had stayed home, she would still have got an accident. It is bad luck” Another male respondent added.
Story board 3: Bicycle Concept
Description:
The story board was generally understood by all the 4 focus group discussions. The respondents said that they saw a man leaving his home which was a hut and his children see him, ask him for a ride which he unfortunately fails to give them because they are too many.
The respondents also mentioned that they saw a man getting confused on what to do with his big number of children that are arguing amongst themselves on whom he should give a ride thus asking him to go for family planning.
Interpretation
All the respondents agreed that the story board was mainly taking about the inconveniences that a parent against family planning may face
‘When you do not go for family planning you will give birth too many children who will always be quarrelling and fighting for the little resources available” a malerespondent said
The respondents also interpreted the board to mean that lack of family planning can lead one to “drown in poverty”which is clearly shown by the man, his home and his overwhelming number of children who looked shabby.
All the respondents in the four FGDs mentioned that the story board was meant for men who do not plan for their families like the one in the story in that they have the mentality that family planning is only for women but this time the women are not in the story which clearly showed that the men should be involved as well.
‘The men are the bread winners in the home and will mind the economicimplications” a female respondent said
The respondents also said that the story board was meant for people who have not yet started families to enabling them to seek how they can plan for smaller families within the resources they have.
Clarity:
All the respondents in the focus group discussions agreed that the wordings and pictures on the story board were clear and that there was nothing offensive as well.
Likes and dislikes:
The respondents generally liked the educative information on the story board which gives a clear awareness of the consequences of avoiding family planning.
“The visuals also interpret the truth and reality that is portrayed in the story here that many men and families in Uganda can identify with” a male respondent said
Call to action:
The male respondents mentioned that the story board was asking them to help their wives with family planning issues instead of leaving it to them alone.
“I think this can help both the man and wife to decide the number of children they can manage” a male respondent added
The female respondents on the other hand stated that the story board was asking their husbands seek information about family planning wherever they see a sign of a rainbow over a yellow flower adding that life can be difficult with many unplanned children and putting the high cost of living into consideration,”… one can go mad” one blurted.
Suggestions for improvement
The respondents said that everything on the story board was perfect did not see the need for improvement.
Preference:
The respondents were asked to choose between story board 3 and 4 and here they preferred 3 because in 3 it’s clearly shown that the man has many children failing to satisfy them and there is male involvement as well. The man has even failed to build a house for himself because of the overwhelming number of children he has got un like in board 4 where there are children disorganizing the house. Anyone can have stubborn children not necessarily because they have not gone for family planning.
Story Board 4 Busy mummy
Description
All 40 respondents said that they saw a woman who gets home very tired, she settles down to do her chores in the home. Respondents added that the woman received a phone call from someone where she talks to someone and shuns her husband who wants some attention from her.
While female respondents said that the man was disturbing the woman in the pictures, the male respondents predominantly said that they saw a man who wanted some quality time with his wife. Respondents agreed that the work was too much for the woman coupled with the crying and nagging children in the house which also made the man lose his head.
Interpretation
All forty respondents said that the storyboard was communicating that the woman came home from work exhausted and got to do her chores, having no time for her husband who chases her around the house looking for some attention which he almost gets until the babies start crying and the elder children in the house start fighting too putting the man’s desire for attention last on the priority list of his wife. It was easy for the respondents to note that the man throws his hands in the air in disgust and regret as to why he had many children. The respondents said that the tagline says all that the story is trying to tell on that the men should have small and manageable families in order to unleash the real men in them.
Messages
Thirty two respondents out of 40 said that the message in the storyboard was that men should have families that they can take good care of with no lack in the homes according to the tagline.
“Basically it is that we should plan for small and manageable families as written here” a male respondent concluded.
All respondents added that the main message in the storyboard was that men should get to know more about family planning from the centres where the services are given so that they can avoid the difficulties that the man in the story board was facing.
Eight respondents however insisted that the message of the storyboard was also that women should not insist on chores when their husbands want them to be with them even though they are tired from the different activities of the day because it may lead to divorce.
“This man now is tired of the woman and he is facing a difficult situation and has had enough of the woman and may leave her for another man because she is not respecting him” a female respondent said
The 40 respondents said that the message in the storyboard was for couples that have problems at home due to many children that they have had because they saw a family that had so many problems and could not relax due to the many children that they had had.
They added that the message was also for the people that have not yet had children but are of the childbearing age so that they can seek advice on how to plan their families well enough to avoid the kind of “Kavuyo” that was in this family.
Respondents agreed too that the messages in the story board were for everyone because lack of family planning could affect all people, young and old.
“This message is for the general public because even a boy now will need that message when he grows and wants to make his family and the earlier he knows the more chances that he will not mess in the future” a male respondent argued
8 respondents also insisted that whilst the message was family planning, it would still communicate to the women who do not give their husbands time in the homes to warn them that that is why they will give up on them and go for other women who will not pretend to be busy when they are from work.
Likes and dislikes
Both male and female respondents said that what they liked in the storyboard was that the man realizes that the family was not easy to handle because it was too big for him to handle which they said may lead him to teach his children not to be like him when they grow.
The respondents also said that they liked that the tagline gives them the chance to choose a life that they can handle by going to the family planning centres for information and services.
Fourteen male respondents however said that they did not like that the woman kept on ignoring her husband’s advances which was a sign of disrespect on their side.
Call to action
The respondents said that the storyboard gave them information on how and where they can seek advice on family planning so that they may have small and manageable families.
They added that the storyboard was telling them to avoid having too many children so that they may have time for each other at home as parents.
8 respondents said that the storyboard was a warning to mothers who do not give their husbands time in a way that their husbands may leave them and get other women who will give them time.
Suggestions for improvement
The respondents said that there is no clarity whether the children are all for this family and they suggested that there be something to show that the children are all for this couple in the storyboard. The respondents also said that it wasn’t clear whether the couple had twins in the story since the woman tells her husband that the “…babies are crying”yet they saw one only in the picture. They thus suggested that they show another baby in the visual.
All respondents said that this storyboard was understandable and they chose it as second choice over the one with children banging and being rowdy.
Respondents also said that they did not like that in the concept with rowdy children, the homes being rowdy was attributed to lack of family planning yet any home with many children will have such disorganisation even though the children are from different families.
After all the storyboards were shown to the respondents, they were told about the concept with highly respected dignitaries like Obama, Clinton and George Walker Bush who could be termed the greatest men in the world at their time and how they have few children to imply that small is manageable and necessary. The respondents liked the idea so much and said that if it was adopted it would communicate well. However they said that the use of foreign models may not go down with many and they added that the message of small and manageable would be contradicted because the people in focus have the capability to take care of many more children. Respondents also said that the prevailing economic conditions in Uganda can not be compared to those in America which makes it a little off track.
Research Assistants Observations
The respondents were very active throughout the discussions with very many discussions going on as they gave their views especially the men’s. They however kept on bringing out that the biggest hindrance to family planning was not necessarily misconceptions but the traditional and religious beliefs that many people subscribe to. They added hat the general expectations from family and friends lead many to have many children and pray that God will let them live long enough even without the needs that are basic like education and clothes.
“Peasants look at children as a labour force and they always seek to have more and more so that they can till a bigger piece of land while many men see them as security” A respondent concluded.
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